I along with the Regional Group of TDs are tabling a motion calling for the creation of a non means tested payment for carers in Ireland.

“In Ireland, 1 in 8 of our population are family carers, yet each one of them face an unfair means testing system, adding undue pressure to their lives”.
As part of the Regional Group of TDs we are seeking to end this financial vulnerability for carers and for the creation of a non-means tested Participation Income. Abolishing means testing and introducing a participation income would recognise the tireless work of family carers, addressing long-standing injustices.
Family Carers provide an invaluable contribution to our community in Galway East. They provide a critical service, a service the State does not provide. We all know carers in our towns and villages. They are heroes.
They deserve a fairer system to recognise the invaluable contribution they provide everyday.”
After the referendum result the Government redeem themselves and demonstrate in a real way their attitude toward carers by supporting our motion and activating a non means tested scheme. support for the motion. We have tabled the Members Motion before Dail Eireann to get cross party support to ensure the Government end the unfair system of means testing for carers.
This motion, signed by the nine TDs, aims to abolish the means test for the Carers Allowance acknowledging the essential support which family carers provide and recognising those who dedicate themselves to caring for their loved ones.
In Ireland today more than 500,000 people, representing 1 in 8 of our population, are family carers, forming the backbone of care provision in the country. Despite their indispensable role, family carers often operate without adequate support or recognition. The toll of intensive, long-term caregiving without proper assistance negatively impacts carers’ physical and mental health, financial stability, and social integration.
“Of particular concern is the financial vulnerability imposed by the current means test applied to the Carer’s Allowance, which can leave many carers dependent on their partner’s income and struggling to make ends meet. While some receive the Carer’s Support Grant, a significant portion do not qualify for the Carer’s Allowance, others still receive reduced payments, further exacerbating financial strain. Furthermore, the State of Caring Report 2022 by Family Carers Ireland reveals alarming trends, with a significant portion of family carers reporting difficulty accessing services for their care recipients and feeling undervalued by society”.

The Regional Group’s private members motion calls upon the Government to take on board the research conducted by the National University of Ireland Maynooth and implement the unanimous recommendation of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection to develop a roadmap for a non-means tested Participation Income for Family Carers by 2027.